Sunday, September 25, 2011

5 Ways to Incorporate Football Season into your Classroom Instruction

Ok, so I don’t often get the chance to write for the blog, but something Erin mentioned
the other day about one of her students brought me back to my childhood. One of her

boys in class, while giving an answer that would be 33, instead stated “Kris Draper’s
number”. For those of you who don’t know, Kris Draper is a recently retired Detroit Red
Wing hockey player, who wore the number 33 on his back for nearly 20 twenty seasons
in the Motor City. This was indeed the correct answer, even while a bit of an indirect
path to the number 33.

As a child, this is exactly the way that I remembered numbers and many other things
as well. I remember bringing up examples of things that I thought were awesome
connections, and of course my teacher would look at me as if I were insane.

Teacher: “Let’s just give the answer Jason, nobody even knows what you mean.”

Me: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOBODY KNOWS? THERE WERE 100,000PEOPLE AT THAT FOOTBALL GAME!!!! HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE AT THESCIENCE FAIR????”

But in reality, a lot of people did not make the connections, as they did not have sports in
their lives regularly. I for one, lived for sports. I knew every statistic. Batting averages,
win-loss records, most touchdowns, yards, wins, anything from about 1975-1995, you
name it, I knew it. Still do. While these statistics were a bit annoying for my teachers
to listen to a seven year old just rattle off, it now seems like a missed opportunity in
hindsight. If they had paid attention, they’d have realized I was doing long division
and fractions before they had taught it, what a fantastic resource. And there are a lot of
kids that love sports, so it is a great tool to use in the classroom. For those of you who
will counter with the argument that not all kids love sports, I ask, how many kids love
boarding a train in Newark on a Tuesday and arriving in Omaha on a Friday…..see,
already lost ya.

1. Quarters
a. Football games have quarters. They are 15 minutes each. The entire
game is one hour. Any idea how I figured out what a quarter hour was?
b. The quarters are appropriately named the First, Second, Third, and Fourth
Quarter, respectively. They are also divided by Halftime, which comes
between the Second and Third Quarter. Collectively, the First and Second
Quarter are called the First Half. You can figure out the rest.

2. Yards Per Carry
a. Very Cool Statistic for running backs. Say I run the ball 10 times, for
80 yards, I have averaged 8 yards per carry. Technically speaking, this
often appears better to coaches than somebody that runs the ball 18 times
for 100 yards, as they are averaging 5.5 yards per carry. As a coach, you
want more yards on each carry. I knew how to compute this basic division
problem when I was in second grade. You can use this same statistic for
catches, passes, kick returns, or any other yardage statistic!

3. The Clock
a. Often at the end of a game, the defense needs to get the ball back, and
the offense tries to stall and run the clock out. It is common practice for
fans to attempt to determine how many :35 second play clocks are still
available in the game clock. This is tricky, and likely better suited for our
older kids out there, but Kleinspiration has a variety of readers, so here
goes….

i. If there are 3:00 left in the game, that means that the offense has 5
play clocks before they will run out the clock. They legally have
to run a play every 35 seconds. So they will need to earn a first
down or give the ball back at some point soon.ii. If the offense is at 1:45 or under, and their opponent has no
timeouts, it is smooth sailing, the game is over. They can run the
clock out, because they will run the clock exactly the :35 allowable
3 times and use the full 1:45. Complicated, but fun, and there are
plenty of other clock games.

4. Winning Percentage
a. It’s all about winning in sports. Winning percentage is a simple
formula: wins/games played. This is more commonly used in baseball,
however it is being used a lot more in football recently, especially with
multidivisional playoffs, and is very simple to compute. This percentage
is stated with 3 decimal points (unlike anything else in life), so if a team is
winning 50% of their games, they are at .500.

5. A Yard
a. Nowhere else in everyday life have I ever, even now as an adult, ever,
seen the use of a YARD as a unit of measure. Except football. Football
has these pure, plain, beautiful white chalk hash marks every three feet.
They are a yard apart. Exactly one yard. There are 100 of them on a
field. Track uses meters. Baseball feet. Builders use square inches.
Truck drivers use cubic inches, regular drivers use the mile. Zoning
commissions use the acre. Nobody uses the yard. Nobody, except
teachers, and football players.

I teach 3rd grade and am a huge football fan (live in New Orleans...Geaux Saints!). I have always used the example of the quarters in football to teach the quarter hour. Not all kids like football, so some don't make the connection, but the boys always do...it's all about connecting to what they know. I am also a huge Red Wing fan...just watched them win a shoot out in a preseason game against the Hawks. So I can appreciate the Draper answer, even though no one in Louisiana probably could! :)

Love this post...my family is obsessed with sports and we homeschool, so this is perfect for us! One caveat...when you buy fabric or ribbon or such at a craft/fabric store, it is generally measured by the yard. I mention this only if you have an avid seamstress in your class! ;-) It's the only other place I can think of that a yard is used as standard measurement.

I love football too! Whenever I'm watching and my team is behind, I have to figure out how we can catch up. We're 9 behind- so we need to score at least 2 more times, with either a touchdown and a field goal, 2 touchdowns, or 3 field goals (or a touchdown with extra point and a safety, but that's a bit more rare). It's a great way to talk about different solutions to a problem, AND kids are really having to find the missing 'part' using subtraction.

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has revealed his intention to move to MLS following the departure from Chelsea. His decision comes when the club didn’t extend his contract.Lampard: "The American thing is an option. I'm looking at different options but I want to carry on playing." As highlighted by Agen Bola indo11.comLampard will not make any decision to move to other clubs until the end of world cup event in which his nation will face Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Group D.He added: "I'd like to get it sorted soon - not in World Cup time, but after that. I'm not sure it's possible to do now. I'm a big enough boy to get on and concentrate fully on this World Cup with England."

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has decided to cut Rossi from Italy’s 23-man squad for world cup event this year in Brazil due to his injury. For the coach, the injury might cause him to play in only short time.The coach said: "My intent was to tell him he was not part of the squad. Then I thought it would have been a beautiful and strong message for all our kids. I mean, a player who had been fighting for months, who was so determined to tell me, 'I will surprise you'.” As pointed by Agen Bola indo11.comHe added: "In that moment I told him twice, 'Giuseppe, you are not amongst the 23, but this could be a good story to tell'. I even told him it would have been hard for me to axe him as he's always been behaving in an extraordinary way for 10 years, inside and outside the pitch.”

Holland Coach Louis van Gaal says Captain Robin van Persie will be fit for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Van Gaal places his belief on the captain to be fully qualified for world cup this year. The Netherland will compete with Spain, Chile and Australia in Group B.The coach said: "He is not 100 per cent, but we have two weeks to go. I think he will be 100 per cent. He is coming out of injury but we built him already up in our federation, our medical department.” As said by Agen Bola indo11.comHe added: "It was under the permission of David Moyes. So we could control him, he has worked very hard. Then he played two matches of 20 or 30 minutes and the last match 70 minutes. We did not expect that as the injury was bad."

Liverpool Boss Rodgers: Sturridge will not be available for England selection

http://www.football-images.net/2014-10-02/2b4f8380580f8dd139d83777f8eaf212.jpgLiverpool boss Brendan Rodgers insists 25-year-old forward Daniel Sturridge, gradually recovering from a thigh injury, will not be fit enough to feature in England’s Euro2016 qualifiers this month.“Daniel won’t be fit. Whether he is available for the weekend or not, he won’t be fit,” said Rodgers, as quoted by reliable Agen Bola indo11.com.“We are hoping he can develop over the next 24 hours and train with the team on Thursday and be available for some involvement and be in the squad on Saturday. But if you are talking about players’ availability [for England], then they need to be fit to play and Daniel will not be fit to play.”

Man Utd Midfielder Herrera Seemingly Ruled out for Weeks due to Fractured Rib

http://www.football-images.net/2014-10-02/fc33021adcb2cba61eef7e501b17e0f2.jpg25-year-old Manchester United star midfielder Ander Herrera would be out of action for weeks after he picked up rib injury in their hard-earned 2-1 win over fellow Premier League side West Ham United last week.“A real shame this injury, but now's not the time to feel sorry for myself. I'm already working to be back as soon as possible!,” Herrera posted on Twitter, as quoted by reliable Agen Bola indo11.com.“Ander Herrera sustained a fractured rib vs West Ham. We'll continue to monitor his progress over the next few weeks,” United’s official page added.

http://www.football-images.net/2014-10-02/7d3bf075a154aa54e2dcd1186dda2257.jpgArsenal hero Martin Keown feels his old club did well in bringing in more talents during the summer transfer window but says what the Gunners really need is a defensive midfielder of Gilberto Silva’s quality.“That’s the area Wenger will look to [strengthen] next,” Keown said, as quoted by reliable Agen Bola indo11.com.“You want someone who is going to run the game for you, a more robust, defensive-minded midfield player.”“Someone like Gilberto Silva, he raised the bar coming into the club as a World Cup winner.”“He was a great champion, a real leader and very vocal in the dressing room, if they had someone like that now it would add a great deal to the team.”

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was left beaming by his side's ability to win without star striker Diego Costa at Crystal Palace on Saturday.Costa missed the trip to Selhurst Park with a long-standing hamstring complaint thought to be at the root of his absence.With Chelsea sitting pretty five points clear at the top of the Premier League, Mourinho is enthused by the progress being made by his players, telling reporters: "Winning without Diego was great."There is a general feeling that our team is improved because of Diego and Fabregas and it's right and it's true and it's fair to say that."Last year my team was naive. We couldn't cope with certain moments of the game so we've worked, worked, worked and at this moment I'm happy."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says he will discuss a potential move for Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus with club chiefs.The Bavarians have signed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from BVB in the last two summers and are rumoured to want to pay the 25-year-old's buyout clause next summer, believed to be worth €25 million.Rummenigge has now confirmed the Bundesliga champions will make a decision on whether to launch a bid."To be honest, we'll discuss the matter internally and calmly. Then we will come to a decision," he told Kicker."At the end of the day, the player has to decide too. His release clause is well known. There's nothing more to say."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Inter wing-back Dodo is hopeful that the Sunday's 2-2 draw with Napoli signals the end of their difficult start to the 2014-15 campaign.Walter Mazzarri's men have been struggling to find their best form so far this season and sit ninth in the league table after seven games.Nevertheless, Dodo believes that the weekend's result could be the start of a series of good results."It could be the turning point. We really hope so," the Brazilian told Inter Channel."We did well. We had them back on their heels in the first half. It was a great match and an intense one."There’s a lot of talk about the big sides, but both teams really played a good match. They were positioned well and we did a good job ourselves."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Brazilian giants Santos considers now opportunities to bring Malaga goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.The Mexico international player decided to move to Los Angeles ROSALEDA after performing brilliantly in the World Cup finals in 2014, but surprisingly he did not get a lot of opportunities in the appointment does not compete with Carlos Kameni.Ochoa linked with a move in the January transfer, while Santos is ready to release an offer to remove it from Malaga.Nabil Khaznadar, the figure of the favorites to win the presidential election in Urbano Caldeira Stadium, has revealed that he plans to bring the Mexican goalkeeper."We have taken an interest in a number of players from the league and one of them is Ochoa." Said Khaznadar to the United States people is in Santos. We do not have a good keeper and Ochoa meets all the requirements."We want a great player and a symbol for marketing. We believe in its potential after seeing him in the World Cup."However, I cannot promise any agreement. Ochoa is a great name, but it has been confirmed anything."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers compete with Argentine defender Pablo Alvarez landed Naples.The British newspaper The Guardian reported, and was player of the 30-year-old a chance to practice with the team led by Harry Redknapp at the weekend that he wants to prove his fitness before moving to Loftus Road Stadium.Previous Catania it intends to participate in the Premier League, but the west London club now has competitors from all over Europe.Moreover, Alvarez has now offered the opportunity to return to Italy with Napoli soccer competition leader Rafa Benitez."Benitez wants strong the squad and see Alvarez is the ideal choice, but he knows the players want to play in England," said the informant said the goal of Naples.Alvarez himself was considering its options while he was waiting for the contract offer from Queens Park Rangers. However, if you were ever to reach agreement in the next few days, then the player is ready to go anywhere else.

Neil Warnock Palace manager will not sell through Bolasie in the winter transfer window in January

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - The Crystal Palace manager confirmed that he will not allow winger Yannick Bolasie left in the transfer window in January.As is well known, and youth aged 25-year-old has been linked with a move away so far from Selhurst Park after a scintillating performance, which gave the Eagles.“He will not go in January;" he said before his visit to Swansea at the end of this week, Warnock took the opportunity to emphasize the prestige Bolasie, saying."He's a great player. There are not a number of well-established club does not know what can and cannot do, and how they can come for him. I think he has made in his footsteps in the palace if I have to be honest."In this season and Bolasie contributed three assists and one goal from 12 games in the Premier League.

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Barcelona star Luis Suarez has insisted that his sole focus is the team's fortunes, not his goal tally for the season.The Uruguayan scored his first Liga goal for his new side as they beat Cordoba 5-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday in his eighth Primera Division appearance.The €94 million summer signing had previously netted twice in the Champions League but has stressed that he does not pay too much attention to statistics."I kissed my fingers for my wife and my two children who were at home," Suarez said of his goal celebration to reporters after the match."I am a striker and I have to score goals but I'm helping the team win. So I'm not obsessed with it. The team winning is most important and that's been achieved."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos says the current side are intent on going down in history as one of the greatest ever.Carlo Ancelotti’s men lifted the Copa del Rey and Champions League titles last season, and are now on a run of 21 consecutive victories – five short of the record set by an Ajax side led by Johan Cruyff in the 1971-72 season; German side Dresden matched that tally during World War 2.And Ramos has told his team-mates that ultimately it’s the record books that will decide this side’s legacy."I hope we can go down in history," he said."Playing in a final is always an extra source of motivation. We're enjoying a unique time and as a footballer I feel privileged. Real Madrid is a team supported everywhere and we have to reward our fans for that by winning."

Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Rudi Garcia was left fuming after he felt his Roma side were denied a clear penalty for handball in Saturday's 0-0 draw with AC Milan.Roma were hoping to reach Serie A's mid-season break just a point behind leaders Juventus.However, Milan left Stadio Olimpico with a point despite playing a good chunk of the second half with 10 men after Pablo Armero was sent off in the 71st minute.Head coach Garcia believes Roma should have had the opportunity to move ahead before half-time, though, when an apparent handball by Nigel de Jong in the penalty area went unpunished by the referee and his two assistants in the Milan half."It should be said that there was a pretty obvious handball in the area," he told Sky Sport Italia."I've said this before but if the goal-line officials don't take responsibility for things there's no point having them."

Agen Sbobet Moreover, the income rather than the team the Blues are not as big as other clubs did, but it did not hamper Mourinho's team to be able to build a great team this season, he has a vision and a mission that must be completed and achieved in this season.

ShareThis

Select a Sprout to Connect!

Support our Sponsors!

For information on how to get your ad or logo placed here on our site, please click here to view our Media Kit.

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Subscribe to our mailing list

Meet the Author:

Erin Klein is an award winning educator, national keynote speaker, author, and mother who has been twice selected to serve on the Scholastic, Inc. Top Teaching Team based in New York. Her recent publication, Amazing Grades, was a collaboration with experts from 13 countries around the world. She travels the country speaking about the power of student voice, how meaningful technology integration can enhance learning experiences, and the impact classroom design has on today’s learner.

She is certified in Brain Gym, Educational Kinesiology, and has studied under consultants from The Center for Effective Learning to understand how design affects cognition and learning. Klein serves as a classroom design consultant and creative partner for the publishing company, Carson-Dellosa. Some of her articles and interviews on design for education and technology tools for the classroom can be found on Smartblogs for Education, MindShift, Scholastic, Edudemic, Edutopia, EdSurge, and EdReach.

Klein served for the past three years as the state’s technology chairperson for the Michigan Reading Association and is the 2014 recipient of the MACUL Pre-K - 12 Teacher of the Year for Michigan. In 2013, Klein was also awarded her district’s Teacher of the Year award. She currently serves on the advisory board for Remind101 in San Francisco and is an organizer for the EdCamp Detroit Annual Educational unConference. Among Klein’s accomplishments, she was also recognized as a SMART Technologies Exemplary Educator, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) 2012 Social Media Influencer, a National Association of Independent Schools Teacher of the Future, ASCD Emerging Leader, and a member of The National Writing Project. This past summer, Klein was accepted into The Teacher’s College at Columbia University to advance her studies in reading and writing workshop.

Klein has also hosted webinars for The United States Department of Education to share her perspective on Future Ready Schools. Most recently she was one of nine professionals selected to be a featured speaker on Future Ready Schools at the national Digital Learning Day in Washington D.C.

For the past two years, Klein has been invited to Washington D.C. to represent the BAM 100 Influential Voice in Education.

In 2014, Klein was selected to serve on the state of Michigan’s Voice Fellowship, through America Achieves. Through this initiative, she was invited to be a part of the national Teach to Lead summits through The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the United States Department of Education where she continues to work on shaping teacher leadership across the country.

She has her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, currently teaches at the elementary level, and lives in Michigan with her family.